Spring seat construction



April 23, l957 H. J. HoLDERNEss ETAL 2,789,627

SPRING SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 10, 1955 H../. HOL @ER/V555 F. o.ALM

INVENTOR5` To mm ATTORNEYS` United States Patent() SPRING SEATCONSTRUCTION Harold I. Holderness and Fred O. Alm, Detroit, Mich.,assgnors to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware Application February 10, 1953, Serial No. 336,131

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-179) This invention relates generally to a springseat construction, and more particularly to a seat frame incorpo ratingmeans for mounting and supporting thereon at wire springs of sinuous orcorrugated shape.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spring seatconstruction having a seat frame integrally provided 2,789,627 PatentedApr. 23, 1957 successive reversely bent portions 19 and 21 forming aconventional lish mouth portion.

x Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the end loops 16 atthe forward end of the spring rest upon the upper surface of thegenerally box section front rail 12 of the frame, with the extremeforward loops being ini portions 26 and 27, with the portion 27 beingconnected with means for attaching and supporting the free ends of atsinuously shaped wire springs. The necessityfor providing separatebrackets, retainers or the like to secure the springs to the frame isthus eliminated, resulting in a simplified and more economicallymanufactured and assembled seat construction. A further object is toprovide a substantially enclosed pocket for receiving the free end ofeach wire spring and also for receiving and retaining a lubricant so asto provide a permanent self lubricated connection between the springsand the frame.

This construction eliminates objectionable noisesand squeaks which mightotherwise result from the relative rotation occurring between the frameand the end of each spring as the seat is flexed, and insures theretention of the lubricant and continued quiet operation throughout thelife of the vehicle. The enclosed lubricant and spring receiving pocketis obtained in the present invention without additional parts orexpensive fabrication since portions of the seat frame are used to formthe pockets.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made moreapparent as this descriptionI proceeds, particularly when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a semidiagrammatic vertical cross sectional view takenthrough the spring seat construction of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the construction shown in Figure1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly broken away, of a portion ofthe construction shown at the right hand end of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by theline 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, thereis illustrated a seat frame which may take various forms, but which isshown here as being of sheet metal construction and having front andrear rails 12 and 13 respectively. A plurality of transversely spacedsprings 14 extend longitudinally of the vehicle and span the frame,being connected at their opposite ends to the front and rear rails 12and 13 thereof. Each spring unit 14 is made of steel wire, bent to asinuous or corrugated shape, so that adjacent loops 16 thereof aresubstantially parallel to each other and enable the spring to belongitudinally stretched or compressed under load. Adjacent loops 16 ofthe spring are connected by integral arcuate port-ions 17.

As best seen in Figure 1, the spring 14 has a crowned seating portion 18and is formed at its forward end with to the rear frame rail 13 in themanner to be described morein detail hereinafter.

As best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the rear frame rail 13 comprises asingle sheet metal member being generally of box section having frontand rear walls 28 andV 29 respectively and top and bottom walls 31 and32 respectively. The bottom wall 32 of the frame rail has a forwardlyextending marginal ange 33 projecting outwardly beyond the box sectionportion of the rail, and the front wall 28 of the rail is bent at rightangles to form a similar forwardly projecting marginal flange 34positioned immediately adjacent the flange 33 of the bottom wall of therail. The juxtaposed anges 33 and 34 thus extend generally horizontaland are in contact with each other, being secured together as by spotwelding or other suitable means.

The forwardly projecting lower ange 33 is formed with a transverselyelongated depressed groove 36 for receiving and retaining the end loop37 of the wire spring 14. An opening 3S is formed in the lower flange 33at one end of the elongated groove 36 to permit the insertiontherethrough of the end loop 37 of the wire spring, the latter extendingbeneath the frame rail 13.

. The end of the elongated groove 36 adjacent the opening 38 is ofsemic-ircular cross section and corresponds in shape and size to the endloop 37 of the wire spring so as to snugly embrace the latter. The endof the elongated groove 36 remote from the opening 38 is enlarged,however, and forms a bulbous chamber 39 providing clearance between theend of the loop 37 of the spring and the adjacent walls of the groove.

The groove 36, including its bulbous end portion 39, opens upwardly andits open upper side is closed by the adjacent upper flange 34 of theframe rail 13. Thus, the upper and lower marginal flanges 34 and 33respectively of the frame rail are so formed and cooperate with eachother as to provide a substantially enclosed elongated chamber for thereception of the end loop 37 of the wire spring and also for theretention of a quantity of a suitable lubricant. During the use of theseat, the crowned seating portion 18, as well as the reversely bentrearward portions 26 and 27 thereof, flex upwardly and downwardlyresulting in a limited oscillation of the end loop 37 within theelongated groove 36 in the rear frame rail. In order to provide a quietconstruction free from oojectionable noises and squeaks, it is necessaryto properly lubricate the metal to metal contact between the end loop ofthe wire spring and frame rail. This is accomplished in an efcient andpermanent manner by means of the construction heretofore described,which provides capacity for an amount of lubricant inserted during themanufacture and assembly of the seat. The lubricant is effectivelyretained in the bulbous portion 39 vof the groove and provides properlubrication of thev joint during the life of the seat. Moreover, this isaccomplished without necessity of providing separate brackets,fittings', or other 3 morevexpensive,fabrication by utilizing flangesof-the frame rail which also serve to afford the reqiiistestreneth andrigidity to the rail.

Referring particularly tov Figures 3 and 5, it will'be noted that theclose engagement 'between the fendfloop 37 of the spring and the groovedresults Vin monntin-gfand anchoring the Wire spring in alongitudinaldirection to the seat frame. The end of the end loop 37 of thee-wirespring is positioned near the vclosed end ofthe ,groove 36 thuspreventing transverse displacement oftheciwire spring in one direction,'Iransverse displacement ofthe wire spring inthe oppositev directioniswcontrolled by means ofa tab ftlpunchedont of thelower marginal Jingformed therethrough at oneend of lsaidl groove to D Imit theinsertioninto the groove of. theendloop of flange 33 Off therailandfbent downwardlyrtoiengaae the adjacent arcuate portion 17 of thewire spring. Although the rear traine rail is herershown asrbeins 0generally box section with a pair ofadjacent forwardly Projecting.marginal ,anees; it wi1 1 b e -understoodvlhat this invention canbeapnled Ito rariousfother shaps .0f sheet metal frame rails aswell. rgItv will be understood ,thatY the inyentionjsgnot to be limited to theexact constructionshownran$1. desribed, but that variousrchanges andmodiiicationsmay ,be made Without departing from the spirit and scope oftherinvention, as dei-ined in the appended-claims. What is claimed is: l

1.1A seat frame for supporting a Wire spring OL-einig ous shape :having.spaced parallel loops interconnected at ,oppositeends byarcuatevendYport-ionsornprising .a sheet metal frame rail of Lboxsection with .thelowen wall ofthebox ,section railextending*horizontallgrand having arnarglnall ange extending inwardlyofv the `seat frame beyond the contines of the box section,l theinnervertical side wall of the -box .section frame rail being bent inwardlyat right angles to forrr1a sec0l 1d horifg zontlly extending marginalflange lying immediately above said lirst. marginal ange andWeldedthereto, said rst and lower marginal flange havingxadepressedelongated groove formed 4therein with itsfopen sideqfacing upwardlytoward said second inarginalfilange to form therebetween an. elongatedsubstantially closed pocket for receiving the end loop of lsaid wirespring,y $aid elongated pocketl extending parallel -to the lengthof-'said box section frame rail and being spaced inwardly of. vthe boxsection, said lower marginal angehaying 2111. 0pen:A

said wire spring, the portion of said elongated groove immediatelyadjacent said opening having a width corresponding in width to thediameter of the end loop of the wire spring to closely embrace thelatter and having a height corresponding tothe ,dxiameter of the endloop of the wire spring plus the thickness of the lower marginal ange topermitthe insertion ofv the fend loop into thegroove from 'beneath thelov/er, Aiiange oftheUboX section frame rail,y the 0pp osite Vend oi,saidelongated groove having an enlarged serniaspvherical,clr-arrib`J-Lonned in said lower flange, said chamber projectingnbeneath the .-levelofzthe elongated portion of thegroove and also being enlarged laterallyof theelongated groove to provide clearance on all sides vof theterminal end por tion of the end loop of the wire spring to receive andretain lubricant, said lower marginal ange of the frame railgextendinginwardlyA adiStance 'suciently :to atleast partially zoverlap the nextadjacent .loop of the wire ,spring to `forrna support therefor, and atab-.bent downwardly fromsaid lower marginal ange toengagethc arcuate;end of. theI wi-re spring connectingA the rend ytwo loops thereof ato.prevent displacement of theA wire spring fromsaidrocket- 2.Anframoconstruction adapted for retaining end members' of springsYcomprising ,longitudinally `spaced rnenipersf'at least one of whichhasa Abox cross section l' .llange extending outwardlyfromthe box crosssectionwthagange being formed `by the extension of two o f` the sides ofsaid lbox cross section, at least one en -said -side extensionsy beingformed with a spring recveivingjgroove, said groove being closed at one`end and open 'atg the other, said closed end being provided with anyenlargernentadapted to store suitable lubricantfor lubricating themovement of said spring in said groove.

References. Citsdn the lfe. 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

